Syracuse man gets 33 years for raping teen

A Syracuse man was sentenced today to 33 years in state prison despite his vigorous courtroom contention that he was not guilty of raping a local teenager and trying to force her into a life of prostitution.

"This is wrong! This is wrong! This is wrong! This is so wrong," Robbie D. Owens Jr. told state Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti. "How can this be justice?"

"This isn't right! This isn't right! This isn't right! This is not right. You know this ain't right," Owens argued.

But as the defendant contended there was no evidence to support the conviction, Brunetti pointed out 12 jurors thought otherwise. Owens, 39, of Coolidge Avenue, was convicted after a recent trial of four counts of first-degree rape, two counts of promoting prostitution and single counts of compelling prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child.